The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1887-02-03
S r r Nj O N,

/ Citations OF the Lord.-I Cor. MI; to ".
81 knew a man Ill Christ above
fourteen years ago, (whether in
the body, l cannot tell or wheth-
er out of the body, l can not tell !;
God knowcth: such one caught
up to the third heaven. And 1
knew such man, (whether in the
body, or out of the body, l cannot
tell; God knoweth y How that he
was caught up into Paradise, and
heard unspcakable words, which it
is not lawful for n man to utter.
OF such a one will l glory"
In writing these words Paul aim
ed at commanding himself to the
brethren at Corlnth. lie wrote as
he did at the risk of being estima t.
ed as foolish for his boasting.
THAT which l speak," he says.
~ speak it not alter the Lord, but
as it were foollshly, in this conf
dence of boastlng."
But out of his intense zeal for
their purity, and as exhibiting his
own sell. sacrifice for their good he
risk ed an indulgence in some boast
ing.
Then follows in terse words an
account of his bodily sufferings,
imprisonment. whlppings, ship
wrecks, hunger, thirst. and expos
ure to perils of robbers and by the
heather, and perlls in the city, in
the wilderness, and by the sea. So
that. if thero were any who would
show forth their devotion TO Christ
by boasting Of dangers and afflic
tions, he more. though in mention
ing them he spake as fool. But
while doubling the expediency for
him thus to boast. seeing that it
would be at the risk of that humil-
ity and meekness which should ev-
er characterize the christian, being
in this way he could come to things
IN which he would not only delight
to boast, aud even to glory, but
such things as he could glory in
without eudangering his christian
character. II will come," he says,
''to visions and revelations" Such
visions and revelations were gra.
cious dispensatiCns of God toward
him, ard of them he thought it law
tul and edifying for him to beast.
When speaking of the visions
and revelations which were graci-
ousIy accorded Paul, we regard him
as not boasting at all.
Each such vision and revelation
was to hial potent manifestation
of divine favor, and means of furn-
ishirg him as an Apostle who un-
ike others of the Apostles had not,
because of his wicked and persscut
ing sririt towards Jesus, the privi
lese of his personal instruction
while he was ia the flesh.
Such dizpcnsations of divine IA
vor must, therefore, have led him
to humiliate himself rath
er than 10 glory in them as d;stinc-
tlcns of his personal worth as a ser
want of ChIlst.
At any rate, upon his own con
fession, he felt that lie could boast
in such things without any hurt to
himself as christian.
Those experiences in the lives of
many Bible characters, AMI notably
III the life of Paul, called visions,
were miraculously permitted views
of heavenly and divine things
or Gods will expressed by
means of human forms, in
volving the use of sensual organs, not
necessarily AS the vision Paul had of
Jesus at his conversion, the vision of
Peter at Joppa, Paul's vision at
Troas. In visions living forms
were manifest, and actual words
were heard. AS distinguished from
visions, reveIa!:o!,s were the CON
made to the person
who was the subject of the vision
by some one appearing externally
to him, e g., Jesus to Paul at the
latter's CONVERSION. The Lord to
Peter IN the vision at Joppa. The
man of Macedonia to Paul iu The
vision at Treas.
OF wonderful visions and reyela
tIols which he had had, Paul could
not help speaking; and since in his
case they had III so marked man.
ner been over ruled to his ediiica-
ton, he would glory in himself as
having been the-Eubjcct of them.
1T is not exp 2elient tor me
doubtless to glory. l will come to
VISIONS and revelations"
In tho sncc 2edirg verses Paul
goes Oil to give an account of a
NEST wonderful dispensatiAn of
Gods grace towards him, ,'how that
iio was caught up 10 the third
heaven III WAS caa- hi up into para
lise. and heard unspeakabic words.
which II is not lawful for IA man TO
after. IN plain tcru:s Paul was !
AIKEN NJ into heaven, thai spirit
Iql realm IN which God most man.
tests his presence This is the one
lccount of this wonderful event.
luke says nothing about it in the
Acts. /
Possibly Paul Intentionally re-
erved the knowledge of it until
ONE time when be could mako the